Crack! The poison-warding treasures on Qin Sang shattered one after another.

The dark river felt like a bottomless abyss. Not only did the currents surge violently, but even the earth itself seemed to tremble. A great change was about to occur here.

Qin Sang had no time to think of anything else. Despite working together with Bai, they still could not escape. At this point, all he could do was rely on the silkworm and the Poison-Warding Armor.

Bai returned to the Corpse Puppet Pouch to ease the silkworm’s burden. Qin Sang shielded the silkworm against his chest, letting the suction drag him along as he crashed through the underground passage.

The silkworm too was fighting desperately, giving it everything it had.

Qin Sang channeled the medicinal energy from the unrefined Jade Liquid of Three Radiances into the silkworm, yet the Poison-Warding Armor still trembled on the verge of collapse.

He understood now. The deeper they went, the stronger the poison became. It was not just a matter of consumption; the silkworm’s supernatural ability had reached its limit and could no longer withstand the corrosion of the toxin.

After all, the silkworm was only at the middle stage of the third metamorphosis. The power of its abilities had limits.

It was not Qin Sang’s own spiritual insect, so the witch race secret techniques he had mastered could not be applied to it. He could not assist it the way he could the Sky-Eyed Butterfly.

The silkworm’s strength was being drained away. It let out faint whimpers, clearly at its limit.

Bai’s anxious voice suddenly sounded from within the Corpse Puppet Pouch. "Quick! Let your little lover out!"

Qin Sang was taken aback, then immediately opened the pouch and cradled Mute Girl in his arms.

Her eyes remained tightly shut, her expression still that of a sleeping beauty, but her soul emitted faint ripples of agitation, as though she were trying to tell Qin Sang something but could not speak.

The Jade Liquid of Three Radiances had given her vitality, keeping her body from decaying.

Previously, the warm jade had nourished her soul. Later, after obtaining a piece of Soul-Nourishing Wood from Bai, Qin Sang had placed a plaque of it upon Mute Girl’s body. Its effect far surpassed that of the warm jade.

As time passed, Qin Sang could feel her condition gradually improving. Although she had yet to awaken, the fat silkworm’s intelligence had grown significantly. Its actions toward Qin Sang became gentler and more trusting, even showing signs of attachment, as though it were drawn by some unseen bond.

Between a cultivator and their life-bound insect gu, there existed a profound connection. For Mute Girl, the silkworm was her anchor in the living world.

Qin Sang suspected that the silkworm’s growth and stability might be due to her influence. Thanks to the Soul-Nourishing Wood, Mute Girl’s consciousness had not faded but had become increasingly stable.

The moment she appeared, the silkworm whimpered softly, its body tensing before it sprang onto Mute Girl’s brow. Qin Sang did not stop it.

Seven-colored light flared, and the silkworm entered Mute Girl’s body. She made no visible movement, but in the next instant, a surge of seven-colored radiance burst from within her and flowed into the Poison-Warding Armor.

The armor, which had been on the verge of collapse, suddenly stabilized once more, successfully holding off the toxins. The silkworm had willingly acknowledged Mute Girl as its master.

Among the witch race’s insect gu techniques, this was said to be the highest form of recognition, surpassing even the bond of a life-bound insect gu. Not only would the cultivator and spiritual insect become perfectly attuned, but unexpected benefits could arise as well. Such a chance was extraordinarily rare and unpredictable.

Just like the human race, the witch race had lost countless ancient secrets. Even their witch cultivators no longer understood how to make a spiritual insect recognize a master on its own, nor what hidden advantages it might bring.

"This..." Qin Sang’s emotions were a mix of relief and worry.

He was glad that the fusion between Mute Girl and the silkworm might grant them the strength to survive within the poison lake for now.

Yet he was troubled, for Mute Girl’s cultivation was far too weak. Back then, when she had been gravely wounded and near death because of him, she had only been at the Qi Refining Realm. How long could she endure this? What consequences would this have on her?

Whoosh, whoosh... Halos shimmered continuously around them.

Then Qin Sang’s expression suddenly changed. His worst fear was coming true. Mute Girl’s face had turned deathly pale, her aura rapidly weakening, and her soul flickered like a dying flame.

Still, she persisted, burning through everything she had as she and the silkworm fought desperately to keep the barrier intact.

"Vitality..." Qin Sang’s heart pounded in panic. He poured the remaining medicinal energy into her, but the effect was minimal. He knew too little about the witch race; he could not even tell what she and the silkworm were exhausting. It might be something even more fundamental than vitality itself.

"The Soul-Cleansing Liquid!" Bai’s voice reminded him.

Qin Sang nodded. He had thought of it too. The Soul-Cleansing Liquid not only aided the Spiritual Infant Realm breakthrough but also nourished a cultivator’s soul. Perhaps it would help. Life or death was on the line; there was no time for hesitation.

He took out a vial of Soul-Cleansing Liquid and fed it to Mute Girl. The combined effect of the Soul-Cleansing Liquid and the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances slowed the rate of her depletion, but it could not stop the continued decline.

Thud! Thud! Thud! He slammed into jagged rocks again and again, his entire body wracked with pain.

No one knew how far the current had carried them. It felt as if Qin Sang had been swallowed by a massive whirlpool, his head spinning in dizziness.

Clutching Mute Girl tightly, he suddenly felt his body grow light. He had broken free of the poisonous waters, but before he could react, he was hurled downward and slammed violently onto the ground.

***

The Jiao King and the Nine-Life Black Tortoise had discovered the True Dragon's ancient barrier. The ancient barrier sealed the stone gate before them.

The Jiao King studied it for a long time before discerning faint traces of its structure and began attempting to unseal it.

He used his own Jiao blood as a medium, engraving upon the stone gate a barrier derived from the Jiao Clan’s inherited arts. That inscription elicited a resonance from the True Dragon's ancient barrier, though the response was faint and far from enough to open the gate.

The poison in this place was too fierce for the Nine-Life Black Tortoise to withstand for long, so the two had to take turns resisting the poison. During this time, the Jiao King taught the Nine-Life Black Tortoise the secret techniques of the Jiao Clan.

The two great demons exchanged insights, altering their methods repeatedly as they analyzed the workings of the ancient barrier. At last, the resonance of the ancient barrier grew steadily stronger.

Hum! The stone gate quivered and slowly opened a narrow crack.

Overjoyed, the two great demons slipped through it. Behind the gate was an ancient hall.

The hall was cloaked in darkness, though it did not hinder their vision. Their gazes swept rapidly across the interior, finding it vast and empty. Only a single crystal pillar stood at its center.

The two demon kings stared blankly at the crystal pillar. The Nine-Life Black Tortoise exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes filled with greed. "It really is a dragon’s corpse!"

Within the pillar lay a long, slender skeleton. Its entire body was encased in crystal. It was neither python nor Jiao. It was unmistakably the remains of a True Dragon.

Its flesh had long since decayed, leaving only pristine white bones, yet even so, the dragon corpse exuded a majestic presence. Its head was lifted high, its aura still awe-inspiring enough to shake the heavens. No one knew how long the True Dragon had been dead.

Even so, standing before the withered bones, the two great demons could still feel its oppressive might, making them almost want to kneel and bow in reverence.

"Wait!" The Nine-Life Black Tortoise was about to approach, but the Jiao King stopped him. "Beware of the ancient barrier's backlash!"

Suppressing his excitement, the Jiao King observed closely. He found multiple layers of barriers engraved upon the crystal surface. The dragon corpse was incomplete, with many parts damaged. The claws were missing, and even the skull had a fracture.

"As expected, this must be a sealing ground. In ancient times, the demon race likely used this dragon’s corpse as the vessel for a seal..."

They examined it carefully but could not determine what exactly had been sealed within.

Time had taken its toll. The True Dragon's ancient barrier had grown weak, the crystal pillar had dulled, and the dragon’s remains were decaying. Whatever had once been imprisoned beneath it was most likely long dead.

Even if something were still alive, once they removed the dragon’s corpse and fled, the ones to suffer disaster would be the immortal cultivators.